Wayland's Becca Gilmore is dreaming big while starring at Harvard

By Marisa Ingemi/Daily News Correspondent

Thursday

Feb 8, 2018 at 6:30 PMFeb 8, 2018 at 9:03 PM

Becca Gilmore is dreaming big. The Wayland native grew up around hockey — her mother was a college hockey player at Bowdoin from 1978-82, and her brother played the game as well — and now Gilmore has her sights set on playing for the U.S. women's hockey Olympic team.

Becca Gilmore is dreaming big.

The Wayland native grew up around hockey — her mother was a college hockey player at Bowdoin from 1978-82, and her brother played the game as well — and now Gilmore has her sights set on playing for the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team.

Before she can get there, however, the Harvard freshman is learning how to play at the collegiate level.

“Harvard has been an incredible experience,” Gilmore, who went to Nobles and Greenough, said. “It was hard adjusting to the pace. Once I got to where I want to be, the coaches ask a lot from you. I’m happy where I am and more comfortable.”

Gilmore's hockey career has already taken her all over. She played in the Independent School League for six years, beginning as a seventh-grader, and won the league’s MVP her senior season.

Also the John Carlton Memorial award winner as a senior, Gilmore didn’t have to relocate far for college, now starring as the second line center for Harvard.

On Tuesday night, she got her first taste of playing in the Beanpot. While her Crimson came up short against Boston University, they’ll have a shot in next week’s consolation contest against Northeastern.

“Growing up, I went to the games and knew people on all four teams,” said Gilmore. “I’d go to games with my team and watch the Beanpot. It’s a pretty cool experience to be a part of it and play in my first game.”

But Gilmore’s success isn’t limited to just the local area.

She was a member of the United States' Women's National Under-18 team from 2014-16 that competed at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships, helping the team win gold in 20-15 and 2016 and silver in 2015. In 2015 she tied for the lead in the entire tournament in scoring with nine points and led all players with seven assists.

During the 2016 tournament she was named one of the Top-3 U.S. players and was the Player of the Game in the preliminary round against Canada. A year earlier, she was the Player of the Game in the U.S.'s semifinal win over the Czech Republic.

Her experiences include playing with some of the best players in the nation, including current Olympian Cayla Barnes. In high school, she also played with current Harvard teammates Lexie Laing and captain Haley Mullins.

Starting in seventh grade at Nobles was a challenge, but those six years of improving and adjusting against older players prepared Gilmore for the rigors of the college game.

“They send a lot of people to the Harvard program,” she said. “In my six years, they knew where I needed to be. That was a really good platform. They had a lot of kids striving for [Division I], and it was a competitive ground that prepared me really well.”

Gilmore skates with fellow underclassmen Katherine Hughes and Brooke Jovanovich on the second line. She has produced seven goals as a freshman, and in the Beanpot semifinals was all over the ice against BU.

The speed and dynamic of the line she skates with has a young Harvard team thinking of a bright future.

“I think once you get to the college level, you have to quickly transition,” she said. “Age and experience matter, and we look up to the upperclassmen. You have to go with what you have, though, and push yourself. Coach [Katey Stone] demands a lot of us, and we work really well together.”

With all the Team USA experience behind her as well, Gilmore is a player who could be in consideration for a spot in the 2022 Olympics.

She has her sights set on the Winter Games in Beijing, but knows it will take a lot of hard work to get there, and that starts with Harvard.

But if she plays the way she has her entire career, there’s no stopping Becca Gilmore.

“That’s a goal I’ve always had,” she said. “Being a part of the program means being one step closer.